Heel machine



May 31, 1927. 1,630,565

A. B. FOWLER HEEL MACHINE Filed April 6, 1923 15 sheets-sheet 1 1,630,565 May 3 1927- A. a. FOWLER HEEL MACHINE Filed April s, 1923 15 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 31,1927.

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HEEL MACHINE Filed April 6 192s 1.5 Sheets-Sheet a Y I y:

1, 0,5 1927' y A. B. FOWLER 65 HEEL MACHINE Filed April 6, 1923 15 Sheets-Sheet 9 j 125 Illlllli 1 I i I) I 126 g I l I If 3 i 3? 150 17 I g? 1 mi 117 'v Ii. Hf lhgghwllllllllllllll /159 I ,1, "I I A. B. FOWLER HEEL MACHINE May 31, 1927. 1,630,565

Filed April 6, 1923 WWW 1. Sheets-Sheet 10 1,6 0,5 May 1927' A. B. FOWLER 3 65 HEEL MACHINE Filed April 6, 1923 15 Sheets-Sheet 12 Wl/E/V TOR-4 May 31; 1927.

1,630,565 'A. B. FOWLER HEEL MACHINE Filed April e. 1923 15 sheets-sheet 13 Fig. 1a.

y 1927' A. B. FOWLER HEEL MACHINE Filed April 6, 1925 \l5 Sheets-Sheet l4 Patented May 31, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFics. J

ALFRED B. FOW'LER, 015 BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'IO UNITED SHOE MA- CEIINERY.CORPORATION, OF IPATEBSON, JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW KER SEY.

HEEL MACHINE.

Application filed April 6,1923, Serial No. 630,335gand in Canada April 7, 1922.

This invention relates to machines for manufacturing shoes and is illustrated as embodied in a heel treating machine of the type set forth in my co-pending applications Ser. No. 265,245, filed Dec. a, 1918, and Ser. No. 351.117, filed Jan. 13,1920.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved machine for performing a series of operations upon the peripheral sur faces of heels and especially upon the part thereof extending around the back of the heel from one corner of the heel breast to the other heel breast corner.

Many forms of heels and especially the heels of mens shoes have a substantial part of the side faces of the heel either straight or curved on a considerable radius. These side faces are joined by a curved surface at the rear of the heel which is drawn on a radius so much shorter that its center usually lies within the tread surface of the heel. nose of this formation of the heel it is ililhcult to secure a proper treatment of all parts thereof simply by rotating the heel and moving either the heel or the tool toward the other to keep the two in engageinent. Accordingly, my invention contemplates. among other things, an improved or granization for relatively traversing the heel and the tool. In the particular embodiment which is illustrated herein and which is to he later described, the arrangement is such that the work carrier, designed to carry the wort: from one tool to another, moves the heel past a tool in a curve of large radius for a limited distance from one corner of the heel breast along the side, then rotates the, heel upon the carrier around a center which substantially the center of curvatin-e ot' the rear portion of the heel to cause the tool to operate on this heel portion and then again moves the carrier transversely of the tool in a continuation of the first movement to cause the tool to operate on the other side face of the heel. Preferably the movement of the carrier for this operation is reverse to the movement when carrying the work from one tool to the next. This helps to prevent interference between the forepart of the shoe and the tool during forward rotation of the carrier. This also results in always bringing the work against the tool at approximately the same pointin the path of movement of the active face of the tool,

during all parts of the time of its presentation to the tool. Reverse rotation of the heel supportingmeans with respect to the carrier is also provided for in the illustrated machine when the heel is passing from one tool to the next, so as to return the work to its original position on the carrier for presentation to the next tool.

Other features of the invention relate to improved constructions and arrangements of various parts of the machine for carrying out different steps in its operation. l

The above and other novel features ofthe invention and new combinations of parts will be hereinafter described in connection with a machine for bnrnishing, polishing and heading the heels of shoes but the inven tion in various aspects is not limited to embodiment in the illustrated machine or to machines for performing the particular operations performed by the illustrated tools.

In the drawings 1-- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the ma chine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, showing three shoes in the position which they will occupy just after the particular operation of each tool has been completecland as they are ready to pass on to the next tool;

Fig. .3 is a front elevation of the lower part of the machine with the casing removed and certain parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line H of Fig. 3, taken just below the rotating table to show the mechanism for controlling the movements of the table and jacks;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, taken through the central spindle and showing the associated gears and cams of the mechanism for controlling the table and jack; i a

Fig. 6 is a plan view partly in section of the driving shaft and the clutch controlling mechanism; 1 a

Fig. 7 is a side elevationiof this same drive shaft and associated clutch mecha nism; v a

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88 of Fig. 5 showing certain driving pinions and their associated clutch mechanisms; 7

Fig. 9 is a detail section taken on the line 9-.9 of Fig. showing; the connection betweenthe operating treadle and the main clutch controlling mechanism;

Fig. 10 is a detail View in elevation with parts broken away showing one of the jacks and associated parts;

Fig. 11 is a Vertical section through one of the jack supports;

Fig. 12 is a View showing a modified form of jack support adapted for use with a shoe from which the last has not been removed;

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a clutch mechanism interposed between the driving and controlling pinions for the jack spindle;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged horizontal section through the central spindle taken just above the tool controlling cam;

Fig. 15 is an enlarged clutch controlling cams; i

Fig. 16 "s an elevatiom with parts broken away, of the burnishing tool and its support;

Fig. 17 is a similar viewof the polishing brush;

Fig. 18 is an elevation of thebeading tool;

. Fig. 19 is a plan view of the burnishhig tool;

Fig. 20 is a plan view of the beading tool; and

Fig. brush. Y a

The present invention contemplates the use of a rotating turret-like table orwork carrier upon which there shall be mounted a plurality of j acks or work supporting devices arranged to present several pieces of work simultaneously for operations by separate tools. These tools will be mountedin position for treatment of pieces of work at speci fied stations in the machine and preferably will be continuously rotated while the mafichine is in operation and arranged to be presented to and withdrawn from the work as the latter comes into proper position at said stations. In the particular machine herein illustrated the tools are those which are ordinarily used in a heel finishing operation and comprise a burnishing tool with wax supplying mechanism a polishing brush and a heading tool for finishing the upper edge of the heel adjacent to the rand crease of the shoe. -lVl1en the respective heels have been treated by the tools the table is automatically rotated to advance the heels to the succeeding tools and to bring a finished heel into position at the front of the machine for unjacking and replacement by a fresh piece of work. i l i The particular embodiment of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

In general the machine comprises a base 1 of suitable shape and having a rearward extension 2 (Fig. 2) for supporting a motor 3. An electric switch 4; is provided at the front of the machine for starting and stoppingthe motor as desired. During the ordinary operplan View of the 21 is a plan view of the polishing ation of the machine the it motor is allowed to run continuously. fit the two sides of the base suitable standards 5. 6 are provided and these, together with another (not shown) at the rear, are intercoimooted by a horizontal frame member 8 (F 1g. 3).

Suitably supported in bearings upon each of the standards are vertical shafts 9 and 10 which are provided with pulleys for belts driven from the motor 3. i-i similar shall; at the rear of the machine for operating the polishing brush is also belted directly to the motor. Within the casing aud moimted on the base of the machine are two suitable stzuuilards l1 and 12 designed to provide bearings for various horizontal cross shafts which will be later described. Between these standards there is a centrally disposed vertical spindle 13 which is mounted in a step hearing 1% on the base and through which, with its associated parts, the rotation of the table 190 and the increment of the jacks is con trolled. Loosely n'lounted on the spindle '13 is a gear 15 which meshes with a worm Tit: (Fig. 6)-1nounted on a shaft 17 supported in the standards 11 and 12. The shaft 17 is also provided with a gear 18 arranged to mesh with a worm 19 (Fig. 7) loosclyinount ed on the drive shaft 20. This shaft 520 horizontally .zu'ranged and runs from the front to the back of the machine. It is supported in suitable bearings mounted on the base and is provided at its rear end with a worm and gear connectioirillto the vertical shaft of the driving motor 3. Elplincd to the shaft 20 is a cone member 23 which is adapted to be frictionally engaged with a clutch member 24: slidable on the shaft. This clutch member 2a is PlOVitlGtl with a hub 25 having an annular recess or groove 26 and is urged by the spring QT 'WlllCl! is interposed between said: huh and the gear 19 to bring the clutch into driving relatirm with the cone 23. "When the clutch member is pulled out of driving relation as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, one face thereof is brought into frictional contact with a plate 28 which acts as a brake to cause the same to stop promptly. This brake plate which is in the form of an annular plate is supported on opposite sides by pins 29 slidahly supported in the upper ends of a yokeshapcd member 30 which is mounted on the frame of the machine. Springsill are interposed between the upper ends of the yoke 30 and the annular plate 28 tomaintain the plate in bralo ing contact with the clutch member 2a when the same is pulled back into engagement with said plate.

For the control oftlie clutch mechanism the machine is provided with a tremlle 35 (Figs. 3 and "l) which is pivotally mounted upon a bracket 35 (Fig. 7) attached to the base of themach-ine and this treadle has pivotally attached to its rear end an uptill ill.)

loo

right rod 86 whose upper end is pulled forward by a spring 37. The forward end of the treadle is urged upwardly by a spring 59 (Fig. 3). The upper end of the rod 36 is notched at 38 (Fig. 9) for engagement with a hardened steel plate 381 (Fig. on a rocking lever at) which is vertically pivoted at 41 in the forked end of a stud 45 which forms a horizontal pivot in the frame of the machine. It will thus be seen that the inner end of the lever is arranged for movement toward and away from the front of the machine and up-anddown as its supporting stud pivots in the frame. The other end of lever l0 loosely surrounds a rod 50, back of the head 46, said rod being extended to the rear and provided with a bifurcated upward extension 51 (Figs. 6 and 7) having rollers 52 forengagement in the annular groove 26 of the clutch mechanism. It will be remembered that the spring 27 when released forces the cl utch members 3 and 24 into operative engagement for communicating rotation of the motor and drive shaft 20 to the gear 15 and other mechanism of the machine. Consequently whenever the rod is freed so that it may be moved to the rear the clutch members will be operatively engaged. On the other hand when the rod 50 is moved forward the clutch members will be separated and the machine stopped in so far as its table and jack mechanism are concerned.

Turning now to Fig. 5, it will be seen that the gear 15 is provided with an elongated hub member 55 which is splined to a sleeve 56 surrounding said hub member and provided on its exterior (F 7 and 15) with cam projections 57 and 5S. \Vhen the machine is in stopped position as shown in the drawings the cam member 58 will have engaged the outer or left-hand end of the lever 40 (see Fig. 15) and caused it to 1'0- tate about its vertical pivot ll so that its right hand end will have moved forward and have pulled forward the rod 50 to disengage the clutch. If the operator now desires to start the machine he will depress the treadle to ack a shoe, in a manner to be later explained. and when the shoe has been properly acked he will release the treadle so that its forward end will be raised under the action of the spring 59 and its rear end do pressed, thereby pulling down on the rod 36. As the rod 36 descends (Fig. 9) the notch 38 will engage the lever 40 and, turning its pivotal support 45, will bring the said lever below the cam projection 58 thereby to allow its outer end to move forwardly and its right-hand end with the connected rod 50 to move rearwardly under the impulse of the spring 27 to bring the clutch members into operative engagement. This will transmitpower from the motor to cause rotation of the gear 15 and with it the sleeve 56 and after a partial rotation the cam member 57 will come into engagement with the upper inwardly projecting end 39 of the vertical rod 36 and push the same backward against the force of the spring 37 to disengage it from the lever 10. This will allow a spring 60 (Fig. 15) attached to an upstanding lip 53 on the stud d5 to turn the stud 15 about its pivot and thereby to arise the roll 5 1 On the end of the lever 40 into the path of movement of the cam 58 so that when the sleeve 56 has completed one complete revolution the cam member 58 will engage the.

tinue in operation until the gear 15 has completed one full revolution, additional mechanism is provided for stopping the machine and allowing it to start again at any time. This comprisesan emergency lever (Fig. 2) which projects from the forward part of the machine in convenient po sition to be reached by the operator. This emergency lever 65, which is provided with a latch 66 for retaining it in any desired position, is mounted for horizontal rotation around a pivot 67 (see Fig. 3) and at its rear end is provided with an angular extension 68 (Fig. 4) for engagement with the upper end of a lever 69 pivoted at 70 (Fig. 3) on the standard 12 and provided at its lower end with an adjustable stud 71 (Fig. 7) arranged for engagement with the upper end of a lever 72 pivoted at 73 on said standard. The lower end of lever 72 is positioned for engagement with the rigl'it-hand.part of the lever a0 (Figs. 3, 3 and 7) so that when the emergency lever is moved to the right it will cause the lever 69 to engage the lever i2 and the latter to pull forward the rod 50 through its engagement with the lever lO, thereby immediately disengaging the clutch and stopping the macl'iine. When the emer gency lever is released by movement to the left the clutch members will be allowed to move into engaging position and the ma chine will start again.

In order to communicate movement of the horizontal shaft 17 (Fig. 6) to the table and ack controlling mechanism there is provided a pinion (Figs. 5, 6, and S) mounted thereon adjacent to the standard 11 immediately below and in toothed engagement with pinion 81 which meshes with a pinion 82. the pinions being loosely mounted upon shafts 83 and Si horizontally disposed in bell; crank lever 100 (Figsl-B and G) which is mounted upona verticalpivot provided in a brachet 101ontbebearinglet at the center ofthe machine. The rightrhand end 102 of the bell crank lever is provided with a roll for engagement in a closed cam track 103 (Figs. 5 and 1 1). formed in the lower face of a cam membcr105 which surrounds and is splined to the hub of the gear 15.. ()n the upperusurface of the cam member 105 there is formed a cam member 100 which is arranged. to bring; the tools upto and; away from the work at; the desired times. It will be seen, therefore, that, upon rotation of the gear 15, the cam 105 will properly control the connecting link 95 between the levers 90 and 91 so that first the gear 81 is clutched to its shaft 83 and thenithe gear S2 is clutched to its shaft 84 for purposes to be later explained. The upper ends of the lovers 90 and 9.1 are preferably provided with spring supported members adapted to engage the shoulders 86 and 87 oh their respective clutches and the construction is such that when either of the mcmbersengages with the. shoulder of its associatedvclutch, such clutch will. be rendered ineffective and the. gear or pinion with which it. is associatedvwill be op eratively disconnected from its shaft. The pivotediends of said levers may, if desired,

e provided with, spring pressed pins 94 (Fig. 8) for entering suitable holes in the usual cam part of the clutches to holdthe respective shafts from rotation. Each of the shafts 83 and S4 is provided with a worm (see Fig. 5) to provide driving connection to gears 107i andlOSr The gear 107 is pinned at 109 to the spindle 13 and the gear. 108 is splincd to a. sleeve 110 surrounding said; spindle. spindle 13, is interposed betwecnthe hub of the gear 107. and said sleeve 110 so that said sleeve is vertically. supported in proper position with respect to the spindle andthe frame of: the machine and another collar 1072, pinned to thespindle 13, spaces the hubs of: the gear 107 and the gear 15 which is loose on the spindle. Vertical movement of. said gear isalso prevented by a bearing hub 111. formed in the frame 8 of the machine.

spring These levers arepivotally mounted A. suitable collar 1071,1oose on-the Referring now to Figs. 4. and. 5, it will.

be seen that. aspidcr 115has its hub loosely surrounding the sleeve 110 and resting on. an upstanding portion of the bearing 111 on the frame of the machine. Vertically above the hub of the spider is a cam member 110 which is spliuedto the sleeve 110 and above this is the hub of a fulcrum member lli' which is pinned at 118 to the spindle 1; This fulcrum member has an upwardly extending huh 119 on which is rotativeiy mounted the hub of the frame of the turret or table 120. In the outer ends of the arms of the frame of the table at points scpa rated by 90 degrees are suitable jaclespindlcs to be later described, while bolted to the upper edge of said table hub (see Figs. 1 and 5) is a member 122, comprising four diverging arms adapted to support heel plates for engagement with thetreads ofthe heels ofthe shoes supported on the jacks.

Fundamentally, eachof the jack members comprises a spindle 125,. (Fig. 5) having a vertical slot coacting with. a transverse pin 126 in a sleeve 12? mounted for rotation in the frame of the work carrying table, 120 and provided at its lower end with a pinion 128. In meshing engagement with said pinion is another pinion 129 pivoted on a stud 130 mounted in the frame of the table and adapted: to be clutched to a gear 131 mounted on said stud 130, directly below the pinion 129, and in position for meshing cngagement with segmental gears 132 on the rim of the spider 115..

In order to effect the desiredmovement of the heel of theshoe past each of the various tools the turret-like table or work carrier rotated to carry the work beyond a tool and locate it so that the breast of the heel faces away from the direction of rotation of the table and the toe of the shoe points in a clockwise direction. This rotation of the table in the particular machine illustrated is counter clockwise when viewed from above. The table withits jacks is then retated in aclockwise direction for ashort distance so that the operation of the tool starts at one corner of the breast of the heel and passes along its relatively straight face until we come to the sharply curved portion.

at. the rean of the heel. The tableis then held relatively. still while the jack spindles are rotated by means of their associated pinions and move the curved part of. the heel past the tool by rotation of said spindle through approximately 180 degrees. The spindle is then held relatively stationary while the table is again rotated in a clockwise direction to bring the other side of the heel past the tool. Be "ause of the fact that the sides of the heel are relatively straight it has been found that motion along the cir cuinfercnce of the table which, in this particular embodiment, is about three feet in diameter, is effective to cause a satisfactory finishing of the side faces of the heels.

In order now to describe the mechanism which causes the above movements of the table and its associated jacks, let us remember first that these moven'ients are under the control of the gears 10'? and 108 (Figs. 3 and 5) and that the gear 10.7 is first rotated tor the required amount which will thereby cause a rotation of the spindle 13 and then is stopped while the gear 108 rotates for the required amount to cause a rotation of the sleeve 110 with its associated parts. Ret'en ring now also to Fig. 41, it the parts are in the position there shown and the machine is started, rotation ol". the gear 107 and the spindle will cause the fulcrum member 117 to rotate counterrlockwise through approximately 90 degrees. Pivotally attached at 140 to an arm of said fulcrum member is a lever 1 11 having a roll 1 12 on its under side arranged "for engagement in the cam track 143 of the cam 116 and provided at its outer end with a slide 1 1 110; engagement with a block 145 pivoted on a stud 1 16 adjustably fixed in an arm of the spider 115. A slot 147 is provided in the spider 115 for adjustment of the stud 146 to provide for varying the extent of movement of the table in order thereby to make this movement correspond with varying sizes of heels. At the other end of the fulcrum member 117 there is pivoted at 150 a bell crank lever 151 having a forked end 152 engaging a pivoted block 153 mounted on the frame of the table 120. The other end of the bell crank lever 151 provided with a roll 154: engaging the slot 155 of a cam track formed in the spider 115. As the fulcrum lever 11? is rotated through 90 degrees it will push the roll 1 12 along the cam track 113 of the cam 116, which, being splined' to the sleeve controlled by the gear 108 is relatively stationary and will thereby swing the arm 1141 around its pivot 1 10 to bring it closer to the center of the machine and thereby to effect a rotation of the spider 115 through the engagement of the slot 14: 1 at the outer end of said arm with the block 145 mounted on the spider. This will carry the spider ahead of the "fulcrum member and, by the inter-action of the cam track 155 with the bell crank lever 151, will cause the table to be carried along through practically 90 degrees to bring each shoe to the next operating station. At that time the roll 15 1 on the lever 151 will occupy the left-hand end of the cam track 155 as viewed in Fig. 4 and when the gear 108 begins to rotate carrying with it the cam 116, the cam track 1 13 will be moved along the roll 112 and thereby the arm 141 will be swung away from the center or the machine and cause the spider115to travel in a reversed direction which will be clockwise. Referring to the'tirst part cit this reversed i'i'iovement the gears 132 on the spider tend to rotate the associated gears 131 and their jack spindles, but this tendency is neutralized by the fact that the left-hand end 156 of the cam track is so sloped that the table carrying with it the work will also he movedcloclnvise by the bell crank lever 151 through an arc suliicient to move the side tace ot the heel past the tool. This simultaneous movement of the'table neutralizes temporarily the action of the gears 132 whose movementin mesh with gears 131 normally would cause rotation of the jack spindles. lVhem during the clockwise rotation of the spider 115 the roll 154 on the end of the lever 151 reaches the central part of the cam slot 155, however, the table will remain still and the rotation of the spider will be effective to rotate the jack spindles through about- 130 degrees so as to bring the rear curved faces of the heels past the tools. When the roll 15 lreaches the corner 157 of the cam slot a similar result will obtain as in the section 156 ot' the slot and the spindles Will remain stationary while the table again rotates in a clockwise direction to move the spindles bodily past the tools to finish the straight faces of the other sides of the heels. in the illustrated embodiment of the machine, the point of contact of the work and the tool is always at the same point in the path of movement of the operating face of the tool and this point falls on a line connecting the center of the tool and the center of the turret.

In order more fully to understand the operation of the jack actuating mechanism i beeomes necessary to describe in detail the mounting of the jack support novel features of which are not claimed herein since they are claimed in .my co pending application, Serial No. 155 290, filed December 16, 1926, which isa continuation in part of the present application. An anti-friction bearing 161 is interposed between the lower end of the slidable spindle 125 (Figs. 5 and 10) and a stud 160 which is s-lidably mounted in the table 120 in alinement therewith. It is,

therefore, unnecessary for the stud 160 to rotate when the spindle is being rotated. In order to jack a shoe pressure may be applied to the lower end of the stud 160, to raise the shoe against the top lift support, by means of a plate 162 (Figs. 1, 3 and 10) which is mounted at the front of the machine on the upper end of a rod 163 mounted for vertical sliding movement in a sleeve 164i attached to the frame. A stop collar 165 is adjustably mounted on the lower end of the rod 163 to determine the limit of its upper movement when the same is actuated by means of a bell crank lever 166 also pivoted on the frame of the machine and connected by a rod 167 with the forward end of the jacking treadle In order to hold the stud 

